Ruby Nell Bridges, at age 6, became the first African-American child to attend William Franz Elementary School in New Orleans after federal courts ordered the desegregation of public schools
Ruby Nell Bridges, at age 6, became the first African-American child to attend William Franz Elementary School in New Orleans after federal courts ordered the desegregation of public schools
ParentsinFlorida’s Pinellas School District is apparently outraged by the screening of Disney’s Ruby Bridges, a film that tells the true story of a 6-year-old’s courageous and historic integration in the 1960s at a predominantly white elementary school in New Orleans, Louisiana.
The film, which has been an integral part of the district’s curriculum for the past decade, is now at the center of controversy thanks to two sets of parents who have filed complaints with the school district. They reportedly called for the film to be removed from the Black History Month curriculum, according to the Tampa Bay Times. The reason for this attempt at irrational censorship: Emily Conklin, a parent of one of the children, claimed the film could teach second graders that “white people hate black people.” Conklin pointed out racial slurs in the film, the Guardian reports, including a scene where actors yell “I’m going to hang you!” at Ruby’s character.
Sigh. Where do we even start here? The greatest irony of this argument is that this film provides students of all ages with the context and language needed to discuss something most of them already know: racial hatred exists, and it’s bad. As a black person, regardless of your age, you are not protected nor can you opt out. Children are not stupid and – it should go without saying – teachers do not show this film without discussing the implications.
But ignorance gains more than it should. Despite opposition from organizations aimed at protecting black students, the county government responded by banning the film at North Shore Elementary School “until a review board can evaluate it,” reports the Tampa Bay Times. Unfortunately, the painful reality is that the more we shove documentation of racism under the rug in this country, the easier it is for certain people to deny that it ever existed.
The story goes on
Removing a teaching resource like this film from the curriculum is a form of erasure. It misses an opportunity to discuss the truth about anti-blackness. It also eliminates the opportunity for children of other races to understand how they experience and benefit from systemic racism on a daily basis, and protects them from understanding their role in perpetuating (or ending) racial violence.
This is the latest move in the culture war by the state’s Republican lawmakers, which has banned books on LGBTQ+ issues and race, such as B. the biography of Rosa Park.
As a nation, we can no longer afford to delve into this false notion of “protection” because even our understanding of protection is rooted in harming Black people. Those who truly understand the reach of systemic racism know that as long as we avoid these conversations, no one is safe. The best we can do is be honest with ourselves so we can be honest with our children.
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